


Retail Life

by WolfSpirit00



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Drabble, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 23:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15399741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfSpirit00/pseuds/WolfSpirit00
Summary: Rhett and Link are strangers who have been playing sort of 'pranks' on each other at their jobs, just making each other's lives harder (in a light hearted sense). Eventually it gets a little too much. No prior friendship. Very short and sweet drabble.





	Retail Life

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing spawned from a discussion with someone on skype. Thought it might be a cute little start of friendship piece.

This game had been going on for a while. Link didn't even remember what had started it, though he was pretty sure it was Rhett being an ass. They went back and forth to each other's jobs and just made things difficult for each other. It was kind of fun though, in a strange way.   
  
But not this time...   
  
A pile of shirts sat in front of him. They were a crumpled mess that he would have to refold for one, and two, such a high volume of returns was a huge no-no in the higher up's eyes. The sales associates were always supposed to be triple sure that everything was right before sending in bulk orders, and since it counted towards commission, the punishment for a mass amount of returns could be great since it looked like you were just trying to get up a commission bonus. Not that it would matter, since a recent policy change meant returns weren't counted towards commission but it still looked very bad on a person.  
  
But outside of even all of that, now was not a good time for this. He hated getting in trouble and he'd been in trouble a few times because of the blonde already but now there was a huge line, Link was the only one working since his coworker was on break and there was a massive sale today. The line was already long. There wasn't time for this.   
  
Link stared at the blonde in front of him, who had a smug look on his face. Clearly he didn't know or care about how this went from annoying teasing to a real dick move that could cost Link a lot. Link shook his head, long hair falling into his face which he pushed to the side as he straightened his glasses. He really was hoping that the blonde would just get the hint, pack up and pull this crap later, "Seriously? I can't return all of these."  
  
Rhett shook his head, "Your company policy states that you can. They're unworn and here's the receipt. Come on. I'm in a rush."  
  
Link stared at Rhett and his stupid smug face and then at the line forming behind the blonde, "Well at least let me take care of my other customers, _sir_." At least if Rhett would let Link take care of other people... Yea he'd get in a ton of trouble but at least he wouldn't be getting screamed at by customers too. That was honestly even worse than getting in trouble by the managers.  
  
But no... Of course not... Rhett shook his head, "I said I was in a hurry. Come on. I don't want these anymore." Link had really pissed Rhett off in the last little prank that the man had done at his own place of employment, so it was time for payback.

But the payback seemed different than normal. Rather than the usual banter as they dealt with each other's shit, Link locked his jaw and scanned everything in. Even when Rhett said snide remarks to goad the man into their usual banter or tried to throw Link off, there was no reaction. What he didn't know, was Link was biting back his anxiety as he finished ringing everything up and without a word handed Rhett the money and called for the next, noticeably annoyed, customer. Who naturally called Link uselessly slow and that he should get a different job if he wasn't going to do it properly. Link tried to apologize to the customer, but of course they weren't having it. Link just wanted to sink into the floor forever but he couldn't get away from the onslaught of angry customers for at least another ten minutes when his coworker came back.  
  
Rhett left, thinking he one upped Link this time. As he walked out of the store he shot a short and playful "Top that" in Link's direction, which was not returned.

* * *

  
"Mr. Neal. What is with all of these returns?" 

Link wrung his hands out, already still shaking from the adrenaline that was pumping through his system from the customers all afternoon, "From that customer that keeps messing with me. I-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses. You know the policy. Plus we got numerous complaints about you within this past afternoon alone. That's why you need to sign this write up showing that you understand.... any more breaks of policies or complaints, Mr. Neal, and you'll be terminated."  
  


* * *

Hours later Rhett decided to stop by the store again, just to see if he could buy something for real. It was within walking distance, he recently got paid, and it was a nice day out, so why not. Link's shift was over at least an hour ago, so he was definitely not expecting to see Link's car still parked in it's spot. But what he _really_ wasn't expecting to see, was Link with tears down his face as he held onto himself, knees pulled up in a clearly uncomfortably position as he sat in the drivers seat, going nowhere.  
  
"...Link?" Rhett probably shouldn't, considering they were most certainly not friends, but... he was concerned over this dickwad.  He'd never seen the man like this, so opened the door closest to him, which happened to be the passengers side, and bent down. Link didn't even seem to notice the door was opened..."Neal?"  
  
That Link noticed, which caused the man to jump and yelp, quickly rubbing his face free of tears even though it was clear he had been crying, "What the hell? Get out of my car!"  
  
"I'm not in your car. Are you okay?" His face was full of concern, a totally new emotion to be shared between the two frienemies. And that was all it took for Link's wall to be broken again and he shook his head, pulling back into himself. His hair fell in front of his eyes as he sat silently, drawn in on himself and clearly not doing too well.   
  
Rhett tried a few more times to get any sort of response from Link but that was all he had gotten. From there, Link shut down. Clearly lost in his own mind and not coming out any time soon. Rhett stared for a moment. He could just leave. It's not like they were friends. What did he care about this guy he barely knew freaking out like this? But at the same time... Why were they even having this little piss-each-other-off game to begin with? Sure... Link was an ass, and he was sure Link thought the same of him. But they made each other laugh even as they were being jerks to each other. There was a strange mutual respect between them. A sort of connection that Rhett couldn't place his finger on. So could he really leave this guy alone when who knows what was going through that mind...  
  
No... he couldn't.   
  
So wordlessly he just slid into the car, closing the door as he got comfortable in the passenger's seat. There he sat wordlessly for a while, just being there to look over the man. Minutes turned into at least a full hour before Link sighed, feeling the tension clenching his gut finally release. The hold of his panic and stress lessening for now. He glanced up, seeing Rhett was still here. He had felt the presence and it had calmed  him, though he didn't know why.  
  
Rhett had plenty of time to think. He worked in a retail type situation as well, so it didn't take a genius to figure out that what he had done had ultimately caused this. And for what? A little chuckle? Surely there was a better option here... And when his eyes fell onto the CD case in the center console, he knew.   
  
When he felt Link's eyes on him he was the first to break the silence, "So you're a fan of Merle Haggard too?"


End file.
